Expanded metal and method of producing the same.



N0. 882,491. PATENTED MAR. 17, 1908.

N. B. CLARK. EXPANDED METAL AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.11,1907.

| INVENTOR TTORNEY NORRIS ELMORE CLARK, OF PLATNVILLE, CONNECTICUT.

EXPANDED METAL AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 17, 1908.

Application filed December 11, 1907. Serial No. 406,079.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Non-ms ELMORE CLARK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Plainville, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inExanded Metal and Method of Producing the bame, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to expanded metal fabrics and particularly a newproduct and the method of manufacturing the same.

One object is to produce a material having tension members and anchorsand suitable for reinforced concrete constructions.

Another object is to provide a reinforcing material which cannot slip inthe cement or concrete.

Another object is to provide a fabric which will be itself reinforced orsecured by the embeddin material.

Anot er object is to make possible a method of manufacture which iseconomical and satisfactory.

Figure 1 is a plan View of a corner of a sheet of material prepared forexpansion by my improved method. Fig. 2 is a view of the same expanded.Fig. 3 is a view of part of the same showing the elements in er'sective. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on t e p ane of the line X X Fig. 3.Fig. 5 is a detail View.

The fabric consists of parallel series of beams 1, 2, 3, etc., connectedto other arallel series of beams 4, 5, 6, etc. by strand; 7, 8, 9, etc.in alternating or staggered arrangement. The ends of the beams, such as10, 11 and 12 constitute offsets which preferably paoject beyond theline of strands 7, 8, and 9.

hen thematerial used as concrete reinforcement this affords additionalsecurity against bending of the beams by tension on the strands. Thestrands together with the connected portions of the beams constitutetension members extending lengthwise of the web of the fabric while thebeams constitute anchors substantially at right angles thereto. In thedrawing I have shown the outer tension member as made u of strands suchas 13 and 14 and 'intermedlate anchors such as 15, but with no partscorresponding to the beams4 and 5.-

The stock is prepared for expansion preferably by slitting or lancing asshown in Fig. 1; This may be accomplished easily by suitable mechanismconsisting for instance of two transverse rows of double edged cutterscorresponding to the beams 1, 1 and 4, 4. The stockis then fed and thebeams 2, 2 and 5, 5 severed. As the material is fed forward step by stepthe succeeding rows of beams are outlined and the longitudinal slits 16and 17 separate the beams 1 from 1 and 4 from 4, etc. I reserve my rightto claim this slitting mechanism in another application. During theslitting operation indentations may be made at the ends of the strands7, 8, 9, etc. so that the elements will more uniformly take up theirproper positions in expanding. The slits resemble a number of interlaidetterHs, while the slitted material is seen to be made up of staggeredseries of parallel beams 1, 4, etc. connected by parallel strands 7, 8,etc.

The strands of any one column, as for instance 7, 8, and 9 (Fig. 1), areunited at their ends, and taken together constitute a flexible zig-zagstrip capable of extension. The next adjacent column of strands, such as13, 14, et'c., constitutes another zig-zag strip disposed in a directionopposite to the other zig-zag.

After slitting, the sheet is stretched or expanded by suitablemechanism, for instance jaws engaging the four edges of the sheet andarranged to move radially outward relative to the center of the sheet.The expansion which takes lace increases the superficial dimensions ofthe sheet longitudinally and laterally as well. This method of expansionin two directions by stretching, is so far as I am aware, entirelynovel. It is easier to allow for such action than the customary actionof contraction which takes place in other expandingq methods. Themechanism for carrying t is into effect, as above referred to, I reservefor another application. Ordinarily no material is removed in slittingthe sheet. Y

What I claim is:

1. An expanded metal fabric consisting of connected bent. strandsforming tension members having ofisets and short straight staggeredseries of beam members short strands with offsets connecting the beamsin staggered relation.

6. An expanded metal fabric consisting of staggered series of parallelbeam members and alternate strands connected to opposite lateralportions of adjacent beams.

7. An expanded metal fabric consisting of staggered-series of beammembers, connected by short strands, each end of each beam having aprojecting portion to which the ends of two strands are connected.

8. An expanded metal fabric consisting of parallel series of shortstaggered beams and short strands connecting the adjacent ends of therelatively staggered beams, the width of each strand being uniform frombeam to beam.

9. The method of forming a metal fabric which consists in slitting asheet to form series of parallel beams in staggered arrangementseparated by parallel strands connected alternately to the beams on eachside and then stretching the sheet in two directions.

10. The method of forming a metal fabric which consists in formingdouble rows of transverse staggered slits, slitting the stock 'whichconsists in slitting the sheet so as to form relatively staggered seriesof beams connected by strands in staggered arrangement, and thenstretching the sheet laterally and longitudinally.

13. The method of forming a metal fabric which consists in slitting asheet so as to form oppositely disposed extensible zig-zag stripsconnected by beams, and then stretching out the strips, and separatingthe beams and forming openings.

.14. The method of forming a metal fabric which consists in slitting asheet so as to form oppositely disposed extensible zig-zag stripsconnected by beams and then separating the strips laterally, turningthem on edge, and forming openings between the beams.

15. The method of forming a metal fabric which consists in slitting asheet so as to form oppositely disposed extensible zig-zag stripsconnected by beams, and then stretching out the strips and separatingthem laterally so as to form openings.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

NORRIS ELMORE CLARK.

Witnesses:

MARCUS M. SoHENK, ROBERT S. ALLYN.

